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Tony Mellaci, who has served as an assistant coach at Fordham for 19 years, begins his third season as Director of Baseball Operations. Over the past 20 years, he has directed the infield play and the defense, served as first base coach, and championed Fordham's strong recruiting program, which has brought some of the finest players coming out of high school and junior colleges to Rose Hill. Along with 2005 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Nick Restaino, Mellaci helped the Rams have a resurgent year in 2005, posting 34 overall wins and 17 conference wins. The 34 wins were the most since the 1997 campaign, while the 17 conference victories were the most by Fordham since joining the Atlantic 10 in 1995-96. As a member of the Atlantic 10, Mellaci has helped Fordham to the Atlantic 10 Tournament on four occassions, including the 1998 title. Mellaci has also helped coach ten All-Atlantic 10 players, two Players of the Year, and two Rookies of the Year. Among the team accomplishments in Mellaci's tenure, Fordham has had eight 30-win seasons, and captured seven league titles (3 - MAAC, 3 - Patriot League, 1 - Atlantic 10). Prior to Fordham, Mellaci's first significant stop was at Westchester Community College where he was the head coach for five years. His club won four Mid-Hudson Conference Championships, in the process notching 106 wins against just 43 losses for a better than .700 winning percentage. This stretch was highlighted by a 30-4 record in 1981, when the diminutive general led his troops to a National Junior College World Series appearance. Mellaci moved to Iona College following the 1983 season and not coincidentally, the program turned around. He helped the Gaels to two MAAC titles in the mid-1980's, including an ECAC playoff bid in 1985. Mellaci served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the New Rochelle, NY school for four years before joining Fordham's staff in a similar role in 1987. Mellaci graduated from Mercy College in 1981. He currently resides in Cliffside Park, New Jersey with his wife, Allison, and son, Tyler. |
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